Lorain planning for construction in spring after approval of Issue 13

LORAIN -- A day after voters approved an income tax to improve Lorain's roads and parks, residents wondered when they will see changes.

That will begin in spring 2013, said Mayor Chase Ritenauer and Safety-Service Director R. Michael Fowler.

Lorain voters on Tuesday approved Issue 13, the half percent income tax increase to pay for streets and parks upgrades and sustain general operations, according to unofficial results from the Lorain County Board of Elections.

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The improvements will be part of Lorain's 2013 budget and start largely with roadwork in the spring.

"We're going to do $20 million in roads in the next two to three years," Fowler said. "The mayor wants to do $20 million in roads, that's what we're going to do."

Before that happens the city must have a comprehensive plan that addresses Lorain's storm sewers, sanitary sewers and waterlines. That process will take place over the winter, Fowler said.

"I can't go back to thanking the public enough for an opportunity," he said. "I'm ecstatic that people gave us the opportunity to fix the roads in the community, and the parks. We're ecstatic to show the folks how a little bit of money can go a long way."

The city also will hire four to five workers to re-establish the city's parks department. In the last few years, street workers have maintained the parks, but next year Lorain's green spaces will have a crew dedicated to maintaining the grasses, trees, shrubbery, playgrounds and playing fields, Ritenauer said.

"The goal is to bring a parks department back and that will occur," he said.

For the roads, Lorain officials must examine existing pavement and use a planning process to ensure the storm sewers, sanitary sewers and waterline underneath the streets are in good shape.

That prevents the city from tearing up new roads when old pipes go bad underground, Fowler said.

"Next year, you're going to see a significant amount of construction in the city as far as roads," Fowler said.

"The mayor wants pavement flying by the beginning of the next construction season," Fowler said. "The mayor wants it to be orange barrel city and I mean that. We feel like if there are a lot of orange barrels, people will see we're spending their money like we said we would."

Storm sewers and water lines have to be a component of the planning process, Fowler said.

The city has hired three engineering firms that will consult on Lorain's underground utilities.

Jones and Henry Ltd. is getting $1 million to design 3,500 feet of waterlines on Washington Avenue, 3,500 feet from Meister Road to West 22nd Street and 6,300 feet of waterlines for Reid Avenue from West 5th Street to West 21st Street.

Engineering Associates was hired to evaluate 48,395 feet -- more than nine miles -- of water lines in the southeast area of Lorain, according to city records.